A significant SpaceX rocket launch with a sonic boom is expected to lift off from Florida this weekend.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is expected to launch NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will have a field of view at least 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 30.
Will it be visible in parts of Northeast Florida? Though rockets here launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, people can sometimes see this phenomenon far beyond the launch pad.
For example, some readers in Collier County and Leon County reported seeing the "space jellyfish effect" in the sky after a 5:21 a.m. Thursday, July 9, 2026, rocket launch from the Space Coast. Visibility depends on weather
and cloud cover, and the bubble shapes or "space jellyfish" depend on timing and how the sun hits rocket's exhaust (or contrail) after liftoff. It typically happens during a sunrise or sunset rocket launch.
Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach.
When there’s a launch window in the middle of the night or very early morning, there’s an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky, and the contrail afterward makes for a great photo.
Below is more information on the next rocket launch from Florida, suggestions on where to watch it and how to watch some launches with NASA+ on Prime Video.
For questions or comments, email USA TODAY Network Space Reporters Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com, Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com or Eric Lagatta at elagatta@usatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Sunday, Aug. 30, NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
- Mission: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will have a field of view at least 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Launch: 7:26 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30.
- Trajectory: TBA.
- Location: Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
- Sonic booms: Yes.
- Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.
Where can I watch a rocket launch in Florida?
A rocket launch with a northeast trajectory can be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach, Florida, which is about 160 miles north of Cape Canaveral (about a two-hour and 30-minute car ride, depending on which route you take).
Rocket launches with a southeast trajectory can be seen as far south as West Palm Beach, Florida, which is about 150 miles south of Cape Canaveral (about a two-hour-and-20-minute car ride).
Rocket launches are most visible from the Space Coast, where they launch from, and are often visible from the Treasure Coast and Volusia County as well.
Where to see SpaceX rocket launch in Jacksonville, Florida. Can you see rocket launches from Duval County, Florida?
Depending on trajectory, weather and cloud cover, there have been sightings of a SpaceX Falcon 9 or United Launch Alliance rocket launch over the skies of Jacksonville, Florida, which is north of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Your best shot at spotting a rocket launch from Jacksonville is to get as close to the beach as possible or get away from trees to get a clear view of the sky and look due south.
Where to see a rocket launch in Jacksonville, Florida, area:
- Jacksonville Beach, Florida
- Neptune Beach, Florida
- Atlantic Beach and West Atlantic Beach, Florida
- Mayport, Florida
- Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which touches south Jacksonville Beach
- St. Augustine, Florida, which is less than an hour away
Watch some rocket launches with NASA+ on Prime Video
NASA content, including some rocket launches, is available to watch through NASA+ on desktop, both from its official site and YouTube. The platform is also available to download as a mobile app on smartphones.
All NASA+ content is also available to those who have Prime Video downloaded on any of their devices – whether it be a smartphone or smart TV.
Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video
The content, which does not require a Prime subscription to view, is one of Prime Video's FAST channels (free ad-supported television). Viewers can find it under Prime's Live TV section at the top of the screen when they open the app.
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each w
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: SpaceX launch with sonic boom. Where to watch liftoff from Jacksonville
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